[darcs-users] Make "darcs help" a real command

[Michael G Schwern]

On Sat, Apr 02, 2005 at 10:32:48AM +0200, Thomas Zander wrote:
> On Saturday 02 April 2005 08:50, Michael G Schwern wrote:
> > It really should be a real command. ?Every system should respond to
> > "help". In this case darcs does it unofficially. ?Make it official.
> 
> ls help
> ls: help: No such file or directory
> 
> cvs help
> Unknown command: `help'
> 
> etc.
> You don't have much experience with how gnu formats its commands?  They use 
> dashes!

I really would hope I wouldn't have to explain this one.

1) You cannot assume first time darcs users even realize that darcs is 
following GNU standards.

2) You cannot assume darcs users are familiar with GNU standards.  If nothing 
else there's the Windows folks.

3) The format for darcs is "darcs command" not "darcs file" which invalidates
the "ls doesn't do this" argument.

4) As has been noted many times, CVS is old and flawed which invalidates the
"cvs doesn't do this" argument.  And since when does darcs blindly follow CVS?
Additionally SVN, SVK and even bash respond to "help".

5) "Because that's how everybody else does it" is not a terribly compelling
argument in and of itself.  darcs certainly doesn't follow that rule.

6) The format for darcs is "darcs command".  It can be argued that "help"
is a command.  If it can be argued that way then a first-time user will think
it should work and try it.  And that's the most important thing here:
thinking like a first-time user trying to get help.  NOT like a GNU 
programmer.

7) When a user wants help on a command they are going to try various forms
of "help".  The more that work the better.